West Linn High School's Unified Soccer program is rolling through its fall season with a five-player roster spotlight and a potential shot at the Special Olympics Oregon Fall State Games in November.
The wlhsNOW student newspaper profiled the team on Oct. 6, with reporter Finley Springer hosting a media day that featured Q&A sessions and photos of each athlete. The program pairs students with and without intellectual disabilities on the same squad.
Coach Neal Glynn, who leads the team, told the student paper the group has adopted a new slogan that captures its philosophy: "We don't win games; we just have a lot of fun."
Glynn said every aspect of being involved with Unified is enjoyable and that his favorite part is sharing that experience with the whole team.
Five athletes were featured in the profiles: Greta Draper, Grace Heath, Joanna Landarzuri, Liam Jones and Gracie Rooney.
Heath, who also competes in Unified basketball and track, told wlhsNOW her favorite soccer memory is hearing the crowd cheer when she takes a shot. She said she is most excited about making new friends this season.
Landarzuri also plays basketball, soccer and track through the Unified program. Basketball is her favorite.
Draper said she is already looking ahead to the spring season, when the program offers swimming and skating. Jones said he plays for the fun and for meeting new people. Rooney, in her first year with the team, said she joined for the fun and wants to keep making memories with her teammates.
The squad scrimmaged both the boys and girls varsity soccer teams on Sept. 23 in the program's annual Unified Night. The team also played Wilsonville earlier in the fall, according to a video posted on the school's news page on Sept. 18, and traveled to Wilsonville again on Oct. 6.
The 2026 Special Olympics Oregon Fall State Games are set for Nov. 14-15 at Providence Park in Portland, according to Special Olympics Oregon. Soccer athletes and Unified partners will compete in individual skills, traditional 5-on-5 and Unified 5-on-5 events. The roster deadline for all soccer teams is Oct. 26.
